Milk Kefir Recipe

Ingredients
4 cups of full cream milk of your choice, whatever is available to you,
Raw, Pasteurized, Homogenised - if that's all you have, Also Goats milk is another great option.
1 Tbs Milk Kefir Grains
A clean Jar (5 cups) with lid or cloth cover.

Method
Put your Grains in the Jar.
Fill a clean glass jar with 4 cups of fresh milk.
Stir gently with plastic or wooden spoon 2 or 3 times during culturing to move the grains through the milk.

Depending on the temperature of the day the kefir will be ready in 12 to 24 hours in the summer.
Winter could take up to 48 hours.
When ready the kefir will smell sour and the kefir grains float to the top of the milk. The milk will have thickened. Thickness will depend on the milk used and the length of time you leave the kefir to culture. You can culture for a longer time till the milk separates into curds and whey and then strain. Very beneficial culturing to this stage. Do not throw out curdled kefir milk. This is what it does. Stir gently to mix it up with the separated liquid and then strain, using the grains for a new batch of kefir.

These grains will multiply and you will have spare to share with family and friends.

You can use a plastic strainer (hard to find) or a good SS strainer. Do not use any other kind of metal in contact with the kefir as it will harm the kefir.
Hygiene is important as you’re working with a living organism.
Keep kefir out of the sun.
Never squeeze the grains to get all the milk out. (this will harm the kefir grains) Always keep the grains in milk.

If you care for your grains, making sure they have food, they will keep growing and you can have them for a life time.
If you wish to take a break from kefir, simple put feed them and then place them in the fridge, for up to two weeks.
Also you can feed them and put the in the freezer for longer storage.

Enjoy your Milk kefir with all it's wonderful benefits, and the many delights that can be made with it.

Fermented Tomato sauce - Love this recipe.

15 Tomatoes
3 Onions
3 cloves of Garlic
2 tsp of salt
2Tbs of Sage or Basil
½ tsp of chilli powder
2 tsp of sweet paprika
⅓ cup of whey

Blend all together in a thermomix, and then set to cook 100 for 40 mins, on speed 1.
Check for salt, let cool. When finger cool add ⅓ cup of whey and bottle. Leaving to ferment for two days on the counter and then move to cool storage.

Fermented Cherry Chutney

1200grams of Cherries
8 peeled and diced apples
3 Diced onions
1 TBS of Chinese 5 spices
¼ cup of honey
½ cup of whey.

Put apples and onion in a frying pan with enough water to stop them burning. On medium heat cooked until soft, add in cherries, honey, and spice, and cook until the cherries are breaking down. Take off the heat and let cool. The mixture needs to be cool enough so that when you put your finger in it isn’t too hot. At this point you can add the whey, and stir through. Put into jars and let ferment for 2 days on the bench then transfer to cool store/fridge.

Fermented Tomato Salsa

5 tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced and peeled if skin is rough
1 capsicum, diced
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped

¼ cup whey
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; spoon into sterile jars and push down until juices cover the top. Add a splash of filtered water if necessary to cover contents. Leave a little head space. Let sit on the bench for 1 day, then refrigerate and enjoy!

Fermented Raspberry Mint Sauce

1 Kg of Frozen or fresh Raspberries
½ cup of Raw Honey
30 Mint leaves, more if you like.
½ cup of whey.

Mix all together, mashing the raspberries to break them down a bit. Bottle and ferment on the counter for 2 days, then move to cool storage, fridge. Will Keep for 1 month.

Very tasty over ice cream, in yoghurt, in smoothies, etc

Peanut Butter Waffles - GAPS Legal, grain free

Hi all, I have been on the look out for a waffle maker for a little while now. Today I was walking past chickenfeed, a discount shop we have here, and they had one for sale, so Yay! I now have a waffle maker! So what better way to start my waffle making journey than to make up a recipe for some grain free, peanut butter ones. So here is the recipe so that you can join me on this waffling journey!

Recipe
500 grams of peanuts, turned into peanut butter.
(I just whiz them in the thermomix, you could use a processor or buy good peanut butter)
4 Bananas
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of bi carb.
6 eggs
1 TB vanilla essences
1/4 - 1/2 cup of honey (depending on the sweetness you want and what your going to top it with).

Blend all together, and pour 1/3 cup of batter for each waffle, and cook for around 3 mins.
Top and enjoy. These waffles can also be used to make sandwiches, or anything else you could imagine.

Don't forget to post a comment and share your ideas.

Almond, Banana, Date Cake - GAPS, Grain free

What better way to celebrate our first 100 days on GAPS than with a Cake like this!

Today our internet access was out and I wanted to make the family a treat. I was planning on make banana bread that we have made a few times, but I never wrote the recipe down,I just always looked it up. So today I though well I'll make my own up. So here is my version, and oh it is so tasty! I would have this cake over any non gaps treat on the market.

Recipe
2 cups of Almond flour/ meal.
5 eggs
1 tsp of Vanilla Essence
1 tsp Bi carbs soda.
4 ripe bananas
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup of Honey.

Put it all in a food processor, whiz it together. Pour into a greased tin. Bake in the oven for 1 hour on 160oC.

Decorate with homemade sour cream and mixed berries.

ENJOY!

Blueberry, lemon, coconut, kefir cheese cake

We have just finished devouring this tasty little treat. Oh it is so nice! i highly recommend you give it ago. Now there are a few steps to making it that take time, but aren't difficult, and once you give it ago you, like me will wonder why you didn't try making it before. :)

Crust
2 cups of Almonds, or almond meal
3 tbs of melted butter.
1 cup of dates

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, until fine crumb had developed.
2. Press into a well greased spring pan. Refrigerate until firm.

First Layer.
2 cups of Lemon Kefir cheese. - Instructions below
1 cup of Sour cream - Instructions below
Juice of one lemon
3TB coconut oil.
Beans of 2 vanilla bean pods.

Mix all ingredients together in a blender or with a hand blender. Pour 3/4 of the mixture over the base. Put in the freezer to set.

Second layer.
1 1/2 cups of blueberries
Remain mixture.

Blend mixture with a blender. I used a hand blender. Pour over the first layer, and set back into the freezer to set.

Within two hours your cheese cake will be set and it's time to enjoy. At room temp it will be a little runny, but still very enjoyable. Best served slightly frozen.


Lemon Kefir Cheese
This product is easy to make. Simple take you kefir once ready, Add the peel of a whole lemon, and store in the fridge for a second ferment over night. The next day, simply strain and hang through cheese cloth, tea towel, nut bag or pillow case. Let drip for around 8 hours.

Sour cream
Using 500mls of cream, pour into a glass jar, and stir in 1/4 of a cup of Kefir.
Leave at room temp. for 24 hours. Stir at least once or twice.
Refrigerate.

Lacto Fermented Tomato Sauce

‎3 cups tomato paste
1/4 cup whey
1tb sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
‎1/4 ts Cayenne Pepper
3 peeled crushed garlic
1/2 cup fish sauce.
Mix all together in a glass jar, leave about an inch from the lid, put lid on and leave on the bench for two days and then store in the fridge and ready to eat.

My family enjoy it, and find it very close to the store bought tomato sauce, but abit more tomatoie, so nexttime I think I might use 1 cup of condensed tomato soup for one of the cups of tomatoe paste. But them again, I might find I don't need to when we make our own tomato pasta.

*If you are Lactose intolerant or don't use milk products you could also use water kefir instead of the whey, as your activing culture.

No knead Bucket Method - Sour Dough Bread Products

Ingredients
3 cups of sour dough starter
6 cups of water
3 tbs salt
13 cups of plain flour
5 litre bucket.

Start by mixing your wet ingredient in the bucket adding the salt.
Once well combined start adding the flour.
Add the first 10 cups and mix well until all combine, then the remaining 3 cups one at a time.
Trying to get rid of any lumps of flour.
Can be easier if you use your hands.

This mixture is a sticky mix, that is how it's meant to be so don't panic and add more flour.

Loose put lid on so the dough can breathe and put in the fridge overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Then it's ready to use.

Loaf
To make a Loaf of bread simply flour your hands and get out the desired amount for loaf, Place and lightly shape on an oiled pan for free form, trying not to remove too many air pockets, or put straight into an oiled loaf pan. No need to let rise but you can if wish. Whatever you have time for. I often put mine straight into the oven, and have never had a problem. Bake in a hot oven 220c-230c for 50 mins. turning the oven off and leave in the oven to cool for another 20 -30 minutes. Turn the loaf out and leave to cool completely. I have found with this loaf that it needs that cooling time to use finish the baking process all the way through.

Cinnamon Scrolls
Preheat the oven 220c-230c
Prepare baking pan/dish/pie dish, by add 1/4 cup of butter/coconut oil, and place in oven to melt.
Making sure to remove so you don't burn it.
Flour your work surface, then remove the desired amount to bread mix from the bucket.
slowly stretching the dough, in to a large rectangle shape. ( you can use a rolling pin but I have found slowly stretching and pressing the dough works just as well).
brush melted butter over the top of the dough, then sprinkle with a sweetener of your choice, brown sugar, raw, Rapadura, maple syrup, honey....
Then sprinkle with the desired amount of cinnamon, I like to add a little nutmeg as well.
Now if you have any extras that you like to add now is the time to do it, I have tried and like, cooked apples, pine nuts, sultana's, cashews, almonds, really what ever you like, dried apricots, coconut, cherries.etc
Slowly roll the dough over itself until you have made a log, which you then slice into your scrolls.
At this point you need to sprinkle some of your sweeteners to you butter mix in the pan. Brown sugar makes a toffee, you could use anything you like.
place the scrolls on there side, close together filling the pan.
Again you can let it rise if you wish or put in straight in the oven.
bake for 50 minutes, checking the middle ones of cooked through.
Now enjoy!

This dough will last 5 days, and can be used to may lots of bread creations, the imagination is the only limitation. However as the days go on the dough get sourer in flavour, so if you want to make sweet bread, it best to do so in the first few days of making it.

Recipe and Video demo can be found at www.gnowflins.com and highly recommend their sour dough e-course.

Ginger Carrots

4 cups of GratedCarrots, tightly packed
1Tb seasalt
1Table Spoon fresh grated ginger.
4Tbs whey (or an addintional Tbs of salt)

Method:
Mix all Ingredients in a bowl and pound with a wooden pounder, or food hammer to release juices.
Place in a one litre, wide mouth Jar, and press down firmly with pounder until the juices cover the Carrots.
Leave 3 cm between the top of the carrots and the top of the Jar.
Cover tightly and leave at room Temperature for three days before transferring to cold storage.

Ginger Carrots go well with rich food and spicy meats.

Making Whey!

Whey can be done several different ways, so depending on what dairy products you have one hand or what you are making with your Dairy depends on how you will make yours.

Very simply way is to leave raw, unpasteurised milk in a clean glass jar on the bench at room temperature for 1 -4 days, until it separates. You can also use Yoghurt, kefir, or buttermilk for this process, However you won't need to leave them to sour.
Then line a Large strainer over a bowl with Cheese Cloth, or a fresh clean dish/tea towel.
Sun drying kills any bacterial that might have been left behind from general washing, or Ironing will also kill anything growing or hiding.

Pour in the separated milk, yoghurt etc.
Cover and let stand at room temperature for several hours.
The Whey will begin to pass through the cloth, after a few hours gather the ends together and tie and Hang to allow the remaining whey to drip out, being careful not to squeeze.

When the Bag stops dripping you will have whey in your container and curds in your cloth.
Keep Whey in a clean Glass jar for up to a month.
Use it in Lacto-fermentation of vegetables, and Fruits.
Excess whey can be drunk for a great health boost, or added to cooking for soaking, anything that would use milk for.

Farmer Cheese - Using Milk Kefir

Ingredients
4 cups milk
1 cup Kefir/butter milk
2 tbs lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method
1. slowly heat milk in a sauce pan until it is almost boiling, there should be bubbles around and out side of the pan. Make sure it doesn't boil, but gets close.
2. remove from heat, add Kefir, and lemon juice, after a quick stir, set aside to cool for ten minutes.
3. cut curds with your spoon for utensils.
4. cover a strainer with cheese cloth/ or a tea towel, then pour cheese mix into the cheese cloth, tie ends together and allow to sit for 20 mintues, or until most of the whey has dripped out.
5. At this point open the cheese cloth and add your salt and any flavours that you would like, ie herbs, or fruit, and mix
6. Tie up again and hang so more of the whey can drip out.
7. When you are satisfied that all of the whey has been removed, untie and press into a mould refrigerate.
8. Tip cheese out of mould and serve. At this point savory cheese are nice to have drizzle of olive oil over the top. Or even sweet chilli sauce, Plum sauce. Whatever you like really!

Serve with crackers, vegetable sticks, fruit.

Enjoy your Farmers Cheese with friends!

Homemade Granola

6 Cups of rolled Oats
1/4 cup of whey or milk kefir
3/4 cup honey
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup Raisins/ Dried Fruit

Method
1. Mix together all the ingredients except for raisins and coconut
2. Cover the bowl of sticky mixture, and let sit out on the counter overnight (sit for 7-30 hours)
3. Mix the oats mixture, and spread on to a large baking tray/pan
4. Bake at 140-160 for 15mins
5. Stir and bake for another 15 mins.
6. If the mixture has turned a light brown or golden then it's done. If not, then mix it again and put back into the over for another 15 minutes. Continue until done.
7. Pour the mix into a bowl, and mix in the raisins and cocnut. Let cool
8. Eat, Store, Eat. Serve with yoghurt, milk, Juice, Fresh Fruit, what ever you prefer.

* With this recipe add whatever your family likes. Dried Fruits, Nuts, Nutmeg. If you do add nuts, or other grains, be sure to add them at the start so they go through the soaking phrase. This is a great breakfast for those days when you really don't feel like preparing much, or you have a busy morning and need to get going, with out having to compromise the nutritional content.

GAPS Coconut Treats

These coconut treats a Full Gaps legal. As my children are coming along for the right on this diet with us, from time to time I like to make some little treats for them to enjoy. As Full Gaps has so many yummy food, and treats that they we don't normally try, so in a creative moment I put this on together. I have used a Thermomix to put it together but you could use any food processor, or some times and a good knife.

Ingredients
One young coconut
300grams Blanched Almonds
200grams Dates
200grams crushed peanuts.

Open a young coconut and drain out the water, drink or set aside for another use. Remove all the flesh from the coconut, and put into the blender with Almonds and Dates. Blend until coming to together and slightly sticky, add a little warm water if needed. Line the inside of a slice tin with grease proof paper, and sprinkle with half the peanut mix. Press the mixture into the tray on top of the peanuts, cover with the remaining peanuts, and press in. Put in the freezer for an hour to set. Take out of tin and slice into bite size squares.

These little squares are packed full of goodness, and a tasty little treat for young and old. Here is one of my blessings enjoying it.

GAPS Grain Free Chicken Nuggets

Chicken Nuggets are a favorite in most household containing children, and our home is no different. Pre GAPS our children would have enjoyed these from either KFC or McDonalds. Since we haven't eaten any food like that for the last 48 days, this tasty little treat is something that they haven't enjoyed for a little while. So tonight I thought I would brave a grain free version on them. Oh boy these were tasty, and everyone agreed that they were way better than any we had brought at a takeaway shop!.


Garam Masala
Ingredients
2 cinnamon sticks
8 Cardamom pods
2 Tbs whole coriander seeds
1 Tbs whole cloves
1 Tbs Cumin seeds
1 Tbs Black pepper
2 bay leaves

Put all the ingredients into a blender, food processer, or Thermomix and grind to get a powder.

Chicken Nugget
Ingredient
1 kg of Chicken mince
1 egg
1 Onion
5 cloves of Garlic
1 TB Salt
1 Table spoon of Garam Masala
1 tsp. of Sweet Paprika
300gram of Almond meal/flour
Ghee, Lard, or coconut oil for frying.

Mix all the ingredients (except Almond meal and oil) together in a bowl. In another bowl have the almond meal ready for rolling the nuggets in. Using a heaped tsp of chicken mixture roll and then coat them in the almond flour, pressing into the nugget shape and setting aside on a tray. Once all the balls have been rolled and coated, heat a frying pan with your chosen oil, and fry until golden brown on both sides. lightly salt and serve.

My children have told me that is recipe is a new family favorite or ours. I think we will be eating this one for many years to come, even if we are not on GAPS anymore. :0)

Apple Nut Bake

Apple Nut Bake
8 apples peeled and diced
100g of pecans - Activated
100g of Walnuts - Activated
300g of Almond meal
400g butter
5 TB of Honey


Put the apples in the base of a baking dish. Sprinkle chopped Pecans and walnuts over the top, Cover with Almond meal. Sprinkle chopped butter over the top, with drops of honey. Bake in the Oven on 180C for 45mins.

Yum!

Kefir Pancakes.

Ingredients
2 cups of Flour (grain of your choice)
1 1/2 cups of Milk Kefir
2tbs Baking powder
1/4 sweetener (your choice)
2 eggs
Extra Kefir, or Milk.

1. The night before combine your flour and your 1 1/2 cups of Kefir. Then leave in the fridge to soak over night.
2. After Soak, add all remaining ingredients, then enough extra Kefir or milk to make a nice batter constancy.
3. Pour and Fry your pancakes is a well grease pan with coconut oil or butter.
4 Serve and Enjoy!

*We enjoy ours with a berry reduction and Yoghurt, with a little coconut shaved over the top. Brings smiles all round.

Sally Fallons Sour Dough Recipe.

This Recipe makes 4-6 loaves.


2 Quarts (8 Cups) of sour dough Starter ( will add a recipe Later)13 Cups freshly Ground spelt, kamut, or hard wheat, (I used unbleached white flour)2 1/2 Tablespoons of sea salt/about 1 1/2 cups of Water.

Your started should be room temperature.

Place starter, salt, and 1 Cup of water into a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until the salt crystals have dissolved. Slowly Mix in the flour. Towards the end you will find it easier to mix with your hands. You may add the other 1/2 cup of water if the dough becomes too thick. It should be rather soft and easy to work. Knead by pulling and folding over, right in the bowl, for 10 to 15 minutes; or knead in batches in you food processor.

Without Pressing down the dough, cut or shape loaves into the desired shapes or place into 3 large well buttered loaf pans or 5-6 smaller loaf pans. Cut a few slits in the top of the dough, cover and let rise from 4 to 12 hours, depending on the temperature. Bake at 350F ( 180C degrees) for about an hour. Allow to cool before slicing.

The bread will keep up to a week without refrigeration.

* When I made this recipe I halved the mixture to make two big loaves.

** Recipe found in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.

Water Kefir - Recipe/ Instructions

Ingredients
1-2 Tbs of Water Kefir Grains
6 Table Spoons of Sugar, Raw, brown, molasses, Rapadura work well for propagation and healthy Grains
Water flitered
Dried Fruit, Sultana's work well
500mls to 1 litre Jar

Optional extras
a few slices of lemon
1/2 an egg shell- add calcium

1. Start by making a sugar water by mixing 3/4 a jar of water with you sugar, stir until dissolved
2. Once dissolved you then add you Grains, Dried fruit and the optional extra's if you wish.
3. Add Lid or cover with a cloth. Leave for 24 -48 hours, if you have problems with sugar you can leave for a bit longer, but you will get a more bitter taste.
4. you will know that your water Kefir is ready for drinking when you sultana's are floating on the top, when you remove the lid you may hear a hissing sound.
5. Remove sultana's and strain grains out and put aside for the next batch.
6. You are now ready to add flavour if you wish. Also start you next batch of water kefir fermenting.
7. Once you add you flavour you can leave to ferment for another day, or leave for a an hour, then drink.

Flavours
Flavours that we have tried and like.
Vanilla = homemade creaming soda.
Mandarine/orange peel = Fanta like flavour
Lemon Juice or peel = Homemade lemonade
Ginger= ginger beer
Grape juice, = a delicious refreshing drink.
Add Vanilla, cinnamon and lime juice for a cola "like" flavour.
Any Fruit that you can get your hands on should work, Berries are great and really refreshing.

# recommend only using organic sugar, and fruit products that come into contact with the grains.

Have Fun and Enjoy your Water Kefir. Christina